Tomlin defying the odds
The scrutiny was already there – the byproducts of fallouts with two of the franchise’s biggest stars and a late-season meltdown that cost the Steelers a trip to the postseason. And the questions of his leadership ability had only intensified as Mike Tomlin and his squad stumbled out to a 0-2 start to the season.
Then the pressure ramped up even further with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger lost for the season and Tomlin expected to somehow keep the team afloat.
But Tomlin never batted an eye. Exhibiting the same grit and fortitude that he demands of his players, Tomlin by now should have erased any questions about his coaching and leadership capabilities. In fact, this season just might rank among his most impressive bodies of work.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, and with his Steelers still very much in the playoff picture while coming off yet another impressive victory, Tomlin is making a strong case for coach of the year honors.
The Steelers entered the season needing Roethlisberger to carry an offense that had lost significant firepower following Antonio Brown’s and Le’Veon Bell’s departures.
But they also needed excellent play from their future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback because their defense was in the midst of a rebuild as young additions acclimated themselves to the NFL and grew into their roles.
But Tomlin had to alter approaches after Roethlisberger’s season-ending injury. He had little choice but to turn to second-year pro Mason Rudolph sooner than desired. Meanwhile, the coach worked to expedite the development of a cast of young defensive players while challenging them to carry the team with
the offense handicapped.
Tomlin’s plan has worked as young stars like Devin Bush and T.J. Watt have emerged as bona fide playmakers.
The in-season addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick has fortified a secondary.
Meanwhile, the Steelers lead the league both in takeaways and sacks and sixth in the league in total defense and points.
A defensive backing like that has enabled the Steelers to remain competitive despite having to shift to Plan B and now Plan C options at quarterback and while the offense compensates for the injury woes of running back James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
The Steelers certainly haven’t been perfect. Rudolph’s turnover woes cost him his job, and Tomlin’s willingness to gamble on in-game decisions have subjected him to criticism.
However, his results in the face of this season’s adversity make it hard to deny his effectiveness as a coach and as a leader. Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, John Harbaugh and Sean Payton certainly deserve consideration for coach of year as well, but few coaches could have produced the results that Tomlin has this season.
Decision time approaching for Buccaneers
Continuing the roller coaster of his five-year NFL career, Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston provided another performance that was equal parts electrifying and frustrating, but did little to solidify his future.
Winston did deliver his team to a 3835 comeback victory over the Colts on Sunday. He passed for a gaudy 456 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for a fifth score and completing 73.3% of his passes. However, he also threw three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown).
The game embodied the Jameis Winston
Experiment: the cannon of an arm and highlight-worthy plays. The decision-making deficiencies and durability issues that have prevented him from establishing himself as a game-changing quarterback. And in a contract year when the Bucs had hoped the 2015 first overall pick could have secured his position with the franchise, Winston instead has seemingly further fueled doubts.
Winston certainly possesses all of the physical tools to be great.
However, he’s far too inconsistent when it comes to the mental side of the game. He is reckless with the ball at times and appears to guess a lot.
That’s why he’s good enough to keep the Bucs in any game but also bad enough to keep the opposing team in the game as well.
Although he increased his touchdown total to 27 (26 passing, one rushing) and yardage total to a career-high 4,115 yards, Winston also racked up his 28th turnover (23 interceptions, five fumbles lost) for the 6-7 Bucs.
Given his ongoing of his turnover woes–- an issue that has plagued him since his days at Florida State – it’s impossible to view Winston as a championship-caliber quarterback, and that’s how the Bucs would have to pay him given the $20.92 million salary he’s drawing this season.
There’s not enough good to outweigh the bad. And so, Tampa Bay seems better off hitting the reset button at quarterback as Bruce Arians enters Year 2 as head coach.
Important lesson for Mayfield?
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had to take to Twitter once again Sunday evening to clarify/defend himself after statements he made during Sunday afternoon’s news conference regarding teammate wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s health.
Mayfield seemed to allege medical malpractice by the Browns when he said that a sports hernia suffered by Beckham wasn’t handled properly by Cleveland’s training staff earlier this season.
But then Sunday evening, he tweeted that he didn’t know the facts of the situation and in no way meant to criticize or throw members of the training staff under the bus.
It was yet another wacky incident involving the young but outspoken quarterback, and hopefully a learning situation for the future.
Sunday certainly wasn’t the first time Mayfield has had to defend himself after voicing criticisms of opponents, his former coach, the media or officials. But because of an inability to bite his tongue, Mayfield became the center of another story that a Browns team fighting for relevance on the field didn’t need.
On one hand, it’s refreshing that Mayfield is so unapologetically himself and speaks his mind in whatever way he sees fit. Teammates love that he always has their backs and plays with a similar give-no-flips demeanor.
However, because these statements involved details of a health issue that Beckham himself hadn’t shared, Mayfield seemed to cross the line. He might have intended to show support for his wide receiver, but he risked making a sensitive situation worse.
And his comments and subsequent tweet explanations overshadowed Cleveland’s victory.
Mayfield doesn’t care if he sparks controversy with his words. However, in this case, he could benefit from finding some balance.
It’s important for him to always deliver on the field, but that’s not always necessary at the mic.